The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding an incident of rape. An 11-year-old girl has been raped by a policeman in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The minor girl has suffered serious physical, psychological, and social trauma due to the sexual assault for which the local police initially refused to register a complaint. Instead of registering the complaint the Atal Tila Police Camp In-charge offered BDT 1,000 (USD $ 12) to the girl’s mother for settling the matter. Due to tremendous public pressure, a complaint was recorded with the Dighinala police station. The police authorities have not taken any action against the alleged perpetrator, other than withdrawing the cop from his place of duty, which is an ‘eye-wash’, to protect the policeman, rather than ensure justice.

CASE NARRATIVE:

Ruma (name changed), an 11-year-old girl from an indigenous community named Ruma was raped by a police constable on August 21st, 2012. The crime was committed in the afternoon, at around 2:30 pm, when Ruma was grazing family cattle in the Atal Tila Noymile area, which falls under the jurisdiction of Dighinala police station in Khagrachhari District of Bangladesh. The rapist policeman has been identified as Md. Russle Rana, attached to the Atal Tila police camp.

According to information with AHRC, on the afternoon of August 21st, Miss Ruma, along with her 8 year old sister, left Tapan Karbari Para Village that falls under the Merung Union Parishad in order to graze cows near the Ataltila police camp at Noymile area. Ruma went to collect greens and herbs from a place near the Atal Tila police camp while her younger sister was grazing the cattle few hundred meters away. Police Constable Md. Russle Rana saw Ruma alone in the area and forcefully took her behind a bush adjacent to the police camp, where he raped her. The policeman struck Ruma on the right hand and right leg with a stick before raping her.

Ruma was left lying in the bush for a while. She later returned home, still bleeding from the rape. Ruma’s mother Ms. Nitya Bala Tripura heard the story from her daughter and went to the Atal Tila police camp. She insisted that the on-duty police officer Sub Inspector Mr. Md. Shah Alam register a complaint regarding the rape of her daughter by police constable Md. Russle Rana. Instead of registering Nitya’s complaint, the police officer offered her BDT 1,000.00 (USD $ 12) to settle the matter.

Having been refused by the police, Ms. Nitya Bala Tripura contacted the local village head Mr. Tapan Tripura Karbari of the Noymile village. The Tripura Students’ Forum, an association of students of the Tripura indigenous community, came to know about the crime. At this stage, the indigenous villagers gathered at the police camp and demanded arrest of the rapist policeman. Due to tremendous pressure from the local people, the police authorities declared that they had withdrawn the alleged rapist Md. Rasel Rana from the police camp and sent him to the police barrack of the district. The local people continued demanding arrest of the policeman, which has not yet been done.

The local pressure helped Nitya Bala Tripura file a rape case (No. 3, date August 21st, 2012) under Section 9(1) of Women and Child Repression (Prevention) Act 2000 on the same night with the Dighinala police station. Ruma was taken to the Dighinala Hospital on the same night for medical examination. Later, the doctors transferred her to the Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital, where the doctors confirmed evidence of rape. Since then, Ruma has received medical treatment at the hospital to heal her injuries.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The term ‘rape’ or its synonym, is rarely found in the dialects of the indigenous communities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, as according to them the incidents of rape are almost zero in their communities. If a girl is raped, like in all other communities, anywhere in the country, it brings dishonor and social stigmatization to the victim, and her family.

The family of a victim of rape faces difficulty in arranging marriage of their daughter if the case of rape of their daughter is made public. This social problem, which follows an incident of rape, regardless of the identity of the victim – whether she is from indigenous or other mainstream communities – is not expectedly understood by ordinary criminals. But, when cops commit a heinous crime like rape, it provokes a serious question about their professional training and monitoring system.

The policeman, who raped the girl, deserves to be prosecution under the law. At the same time, the police officer who offered money to the mother of the victim of rape deserves prosecution as well for his attempt at covering up the crime committed by his colleague. The attempt to bribe the mother of the rape victim further reflects the mindset of the police that fails to match that of a professional police force. This attitude of police officers forces the people to protest against the authorities, as it happened in this case. It means that the system does not function to uphold the rule of law in Bangladesh. Instead, the people, who strive for the rule of law, have to fight with extra-energy and efforts to make something happen in the name of the ‘rule of law’ for which they fail many times and succeed rarely in the country.

SUGGESTED ACTION:Please write to the authorities of Bangladesh urging them to ensure a credible investigation by competent judicial officers so that the police are prevented from covering up their crimes, as has become their habit. The alleged perpetrators, including the rapist and the police officer, who attempted to cover up the rape case, must be punished through a fair and speedy trial. The victim must be afforded adequate compensation from the perpetrators and the authorities for the loss that she and her family have suffered and will suffer.

The AHRC has written a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteurs, on Violence against Women, on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and to the Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, calling for their interventions into this matter.

Name of victim: Miss Ruma (not original name), aged 11 years, living in Tapan Karbari Para village of Noymile area under Merung Union ParishadNames of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Russel Rana, police constable
2. Mr. Md. Shah Alam, Camp-In-ChargeBoth are attached to the Otol Tila Police Camp under the jurisdiction of Dighinala police station in Khagrachhari districtDate and Time of incident: 21 August 2012 at around 2:30pmPlace of incident: Behind a bush on a hill near to the Otol Tila Police Camp under the jurisdiction of Dighinala police station in Khagrachhari district

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the rape of an 11-year-old girl of an indigenous community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts that has been committed by a policeman of the Atal Tila Police Camp under the jurisdiction of Dighinala police station in Khagrachhari Hill District on 21st August, 2012. I am appalled to know that a police officer of the same camp attempted to cover up the crime of his colleague by offering money to the mother of the victim when the victim’s mother insisted the officer register her complaint. I demand immediate, credible, investigation and prosecution of both police officers for the crimes they have committed.

According to the information, I have received from the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), at around 2.30 pm Miss Ruma, along with her 8-year old sister, of Tapan Karbari Para village of Noymile area under Merung Union Parishad went out for grazing cows near Ataltila police camp at Noymile area. Ruma went to collect vegetables and herbs from a place near Atal Tila police camp while her younger sister was grazing the cattle few hundred meters away. Police Constable Md. Russle Rana saw Ruma alone in the area and forcefully took her behind a bush adjacent to the police camp where he raped her. The policeman struck Ruma on the right hand and right leg with a stick before raping her.

Ruma was left in the bush for a while. She later returned home, still bleeding from her female organ. Ruma’s mother Ms. Nitya Bala Tripura heard the story from her daughter and went to the Atal Tila police camp. She insisted that the on-duty police officer Sub Inspector Md. Shah Alam register a complaint regarding the rape of her daughter by police constable Md. Russle Rana. Instead of registering Nitya’s complaint, the police officer offered her BDT 1,000.00 (USD $ 12) to settle the matter.

Having been refused by the police, Nitya Bala Tripura contacted the local village head Mr. Tapan Tripura Karbari of the Noymile village. The Tripura Students’ Forum, an association of students of the Tripura indigenous community, came to know about the crime. The indigenous villagers gathered at the police camp and demanded arrest of the rapist policeman. Following tremendous pressure from the local people, the police authorities declared that they had withdrawn the alleged rapist Md. Rasel Rana from the police camp and brought him to the police barrack of the district. The local people continued demanding arrest of the policeman, which has not been done.

Ms. Nitya Bala Tripura has filed a rape case (no. 3, date 21 August 2012) under Section 9(1) of Women and Child Repression (Prevention) Act 2000 with the Dighinala police station. Ruma was taken to the Dighinala Hospital for medical examination. Later, she was transferred to the Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital, where doctors found evidence regarding the allegation of rape. Since then, Ruma has received medical treatment at the hospital to heal her injuries.

I am aware that the term ‘rape’ or its synonym is rarely available in the dialects of the Indigenous communities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, as according to the locals, incidents of rape are almost zero in their communities. If a girl is raped, like all other communities anywhere in the country, it brings dishonor and social stigmatization to the victim, and her family. The family of a victim of rape faces difficulty in arranging marriage of their daughter if the case of rape of their daughter is made public.

I may agree that the social problems that follow an incident of rape, regardless of the identity of the victim – whether she is from indigenous or other mainstream communities – is not understood or considered by ordinary criminals. But, when policemen commit heinous crimes like rape, it provokes serious questions about their professional training and monitoring systems.

The policeman, who raped the girl, surely deserves to be subjected to investigation and prosecution. At the same time, the police officer who offered money to the mother of the victim of rape deserves prosecution as well for his attempt to cover up the crime committed by his colleague. It reflects the mindset of the police, which matches not that of a professional police force. This attitude of the police officers force the people to protest against the authorities as it happened in this case. It means that the system does not function to uphold the law. Instead, the people, who strive for the rule of law, have to fight with extra-efforts to make something happen in the name of the ‘rule of law’, for which they fail many times and succeed rarely in the country.

I urge the authorities of Bangladesh to ensure a credible investigation by competent judicial officers so that the police are prevented from their habit of covering up their own crimes. The alleged perpetrators, including the rapist and the police officer who attempted to cover up the rape case, must be punished through a fair and speedy trial. The victim must be afforded adequate compensation from the perpetrators and the authorities for the loss she and her family have suffered.